Magnetic tape storage devices may be used to create backup copies of data stored on computer systems, such as servers. With each new generation of magnetic tape storage devices, the amount of data that may be stored per unit area of the tape may increase. This increase in storage capacity, in some cases, may be achieved by increasing density of tracks on the tape. Tracks are the areas on magnetic tape within which data values may be written. However, as track densities increase, the effects of dimensional changes in the magnetic tape become more pronounced.
Dimensional changes in a magnetic tape may take place for many reasons. Magnetic tapes made from polymer-based substrates, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), may change dimension based on environmental factors such as temperature and humidity. Mechanical usage may also change the dimension of the magnetic tape, such as a narrowing of the tape when under tension. Moreover, magnetic tapes tend to shrink in width with age.
When the dimensions of magnetic tape change, it may be difficult to recover information written on the tapes. Tracks containing the information, for example, may not precisely align with the read transducers on the magnetic head of the magnetic tape storage device.